Health care ruling could tip races

“I ran against the health care law in 2010. The only thing the last 18 months have done for me is confirmed what I suspected about it,” Buerkle said. “This may have been the most well-intentioned law in the world but the intended and unintended consequences are not going to increase access to care, and they are certainly not going to decrease the cost of care.”

She has strongholds in many of the more conservative small towns — including her hometown of Auburn — and there’s no doubt the Supreme Court ruling has revved up her base. But the newly drawn district is slightly more Democratic than the area she currently represents, and high voter turn out in a presidential year could help push the race in Maffei’s favor. The area stretches from small rural counties on Lake Ontario down to Onandoga Country—the strongest area for the Democrat — which includes the city of Syracuse.

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Buerkle has also had to defend her vote for the budget introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan that Democrats have contended will “end Medicare as we know it.” Just as she plans to make Maffei’s support of the health care law a primary focus of her campaign, Maffei has likewise slammed her over these votes.

That message has resonated with some voters, like 72-year-old Bernie Ellis, a disabled veteran who called Buerkle “completely out of touch” and rattled off a list of complaints he had about the congresswoman.

“She’s a nurse!” he said. “If anyone should understand the need for providing good health care and keeping Medicare safe, it should be her. But she’s so out there and won’t budge even a little. She doesn’t understand what her people need.”

Richard and Diane Mechowski of Auburn, N.Y., are volunteering for Buerkle because of her “traditional American values” and they list the health care law among their top reasons for siding with the Republican.

“We need health care reform, but not this,” said Mrs. Mechowski. “We need smaller government, less debt. Obamacare just increases the debt, it’s not going to help a thing.”

Since the district is decidedly moderate, and Buerkle will have to convince voters that she isn’t a right-wing ideologue. She’s taken some heat from the local press over her comments on both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. Recently, a Post-Standard article headlined “Ann Marie Buerkle shades truths on health care law” said “Buerkle has provided a highly selective picture of the Medicare debate.” And a constituent asked her at a recent town hall why she “was so far to the right of her constituency.”

Exactly how would you like to improve on a partisan ( deemed ) passed 2700 page HC industry and 1/6 economy government hostile takeover?

Another 21 taxes that have nothing to do with Health Care, would that be considered an " Improvement " to you?

TORT Reform, Interstate Insurance. Lets take it a little slower, methodical and BI-partisan this time. There will be plenty of opportunities for Progressives to " Improve " on that over the years to come.

Yes, Obamacare is a disaster. So is the Brown-Obama California high speed rail project. Both schemes put great stress on public budgets; neither the federal government nor the state government of California (already with the lowest credit rating of all U.S. states) can afford this latest giant white elephant project, which will never be profitable, and will require public financial bailouts forever. Voters have a chance to end President Obama's government spending malfeasance this November. Romney is likely to be a much more responsible steward of the public's resources, and merits replacing Obama in the top job for 2013-2017. Obama, with his fiscally reckless crony socialist mentality, is not going to change.

State of Mass. has gone 8.5 billion dollarsover its allotment of Medicaid. If seven Justices did not decide similar coercive appropriations for the other 49 states were unrealistic and unconstitutional ; How many trillion dollars would that have been ?Obamacare would have bankrupted the country. So the heart of Obamacare coverage for all is gone. Repeal Reagan's socialized medicine experiment -EMTALA and let the uninsured be denied emergency room care. Then let Congress figure out a fair solution. That is what the supreme Court ordered isn't it?

Maybe we can hand out broccoli for anyone needing emergency room care.

If you work for a company that pays a portion of your Health Insurance, you might have a "Cadilac Plan". Therefore, you are going to be taxed on your portion of the insurance and your employer's portion will become part of your income.

Welcome to the new United Slaved States of America where you now have to work to subsidize those who don't.

Obamacare will have play in November. The Democretins who slavishly support O-Care are totally ignorant of the effects on the American economy. Businesses without a clearly defined need for additional employees will wait until after the November election to decide. The ripple effect on the economy as different stages of O-care are implemented will make the beast more expensive than most can imagine. And, anyone who thinks 16,000 new IRS agents is a good thing needs to seek psychiatric help.

Obama said Obamacare is not an individual mandate while it was argued and finally voted in both houses. He sent his lawyers to SCOTUS AND argues mandate is a TAX. SCOTUS upheld individual mandate IS a TAX. This is just one of the taxes under ObamaCareTax, there are other 21 new taxes, plus expiration of Bush tax cut in January 2012; another TAX INCREASE! This is hitting the middle class real hard.

My question to Mitt Romney, as a resident of Massachusetts, why, as governor, did you inflict on the people of Massachusetts a huge tax and policy you say is horrible and must be undone?

Like Obamacare? Danglebury your making our argument for us.

Romneycare ( a ~ liberal dominated ~ state level statute ) is not and was not ever intended to be a Federal model.

If anything it should be viewed as a smaller example that obviously doesnt work as prescribed. But this Administration cares nothing about proven examples or suggested as they dont fit the Socialist Narrative Agenda they're seeking.